The Wegovy pill works the same way as the Wegovy injection. Like Wegovy injections, it contains the GLP-1, semaglutide, which works to help with weight loss by making you feel fuller for longer, helping you to curb your cravings.
The Wegovy pill is taken once a day on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before food. Studies have shown that the Wegovy pill can help you lose 16.6% of your starting weight in 64 weeks on the highest maintenance dose of 25mg.
What is the Wegovy pill?
The Wegovy pill is a prescription-only weight loss medication that contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist that suppresses appetite, increases feelings of fullness, and slows stomach emptying. This reduces your food intake and helps you achieve a calorie deficit, a key factor for weight loss. Wegovy pills are prescribed alongside a calorie-controlled diet, regular exercise, and other positive lifestyle changes.
The Wegovy pill is a convenient alternative to the Wegovy injection because it involves swallowing a daily tablet rather than injecting yourself with the medication once a week.
How does the Wegovy pill work?
The Wegovy pill contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which mimics the effects of GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone. In doing so, the Wegovy pill helps you lose weight by:
- suppressing your appetite and reducing food cravings
- slowing gastric emptying, the time it takes for food to leave the stomach, to keep you feeling fuller for longer
- regulating blood sugar levels by increasing insulin secretion when they are raised to stop blood sugar spikes and prevent food cravings
How long does the Wegovy pill take to work?
The Wegovy pill can start to reduce your appetite within the first few days to weeks of starting treatment, but it can take several months for you to see significant weight loss results. Some people may notice positive changes in their appetite, such as reduced cravings or feeling more satisfied between meals, within a few weeks, but the most significant results are likely to happen when you reach the maintenance dose from around week 13 of treatment.
How effective are Wegovy pills?
Clinical trials have shown that a daily 25mg Wegovy pill can result in an average 16.6% body weight reduction after 64 weeks compared to 2.7% with a placebo. The same study found that people taking Wegovy were more likely than those in the placebo group to lose 5, 10, 15, or 20% of their starting weight.
Is the Wegovy pill safe?
Yes, the Wegovy pill has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK, meaning it has been deemed safe for use.
How long do I need to take the Wegovy pill?
You will only need to take the Wegovy pill for as long as it takes you to reach your target weight, but you can choose to continue taking it to maintain your weight loss until you’re ready to stop. The Wegovy pill has been approved for long-term weight loss. Because the most significant weight loss occurs with the maintenance dose, which will take at least 13 weeks to reach, you will need to take the Wegovy pill for at least several months.
After 6 months of treatment, your pharmacist will assess your progress to see if you have lost at least 5% of your starting body weight. If you have, you can continue taking the Wegovy pill for as long as it remains beneficial for you and is not causing any severe side effects. If you have not, then the pharmacist may discuss alternative weight loss treatments with you.
What happens when I stop taking Wegovy?
The Wegovy pill does not cause withdrawal symptoms like addictive substances do because it does not create physical or psychological dependency. That means you can safely stop taking the medication without needing to gradually reduce your dose, although some people prefer to.
Although you won’t get withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the Wegovy pill, your appetite will slowly return to what it was before you started your treatment. If you have had any side effects while taking Wegovy, these will also stop. You may regain some or all of the weight you lost while taking the Wegovy pill, especially if you have not made any changes to your lifestyle or find them difficult to continue.
How do I take Wegovy pills?
It is important that you take Wegovy pills exactly as prescribed by your pharmacist, as there are specific instructions you must follow to ensure it is effective.
To take the Wegovy pill, you need to:
- swallow 1 pill whole, do not crush, chew, or dissolve it, in the morning (or when you usually wake up) before you eat or drink – the Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach following a recommended fasting period of at least 8 hours (this includes water – you must not drink water in this period)
- take it with no more than 120ml of plain water – do not take it with tea, coffee, or any other drink
- wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking any other medication
The Wegovy pill’s active ingredient, semaglutide, is a large substance called a peptide which is difficult for your body to absorb. So, taking it this way helps protect the medication from digestion and ensures it reaches your bloodstream, where it can then travel to the GLP-1 receptors in the brain and perform its actions.
How often do I take the Wegovy pill?
The Wegovy pill is designed to be taken once per day, in the morning on an empty stomach. This is different to the Wegovy injection, which is taken once weekly.
What if I miss a pill?
If you miss a Wegovy pill, you should skip the missed dose and take the next dose the following morning at the usual time.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose. Frequently missing Wegovy doses can reduce the pill’s effectiveness. Some people find it helpful to set a reminder on their phone to remember to take their Wegovy pill.
What if I take too much?
If you take more than one Wegovy pill, you should contact your pharmacist for advice, telling them how many you have taken. Taking too much can make side effects, like feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, or headaches, worse and increase the chance of dehydration.
If you are unsure about what you should do if you have taken more than one Wegovy pill, you can check the patient information leaflet that is provided with your medication.
Wegovy pill dosages
Just like the Wegovy injection, when you start weight loss treatment with the Wegovy pill, you will usually start on the lowest dose and gradually increase it until you reach the maximum dose.
The Wegovy pill dosing schedule is as follows:
- Month 1 (starting dose) – 1.5mg tablet once daily
- Month 2 – 4mg tablet once daily
- Month 3 – 9mg tablet once daily
- Month 4 and onward (highest dose) – 25mg tablet once daily
If you get Wegovy pill side effects, your pharmacist may advise you to stay on a lower dose for longer to allow your body to get used to the medication.